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The Robot and Automation Almanac - 2018: The Futurist Institute
Edited by Jason Schenker, Chairman of The Futurist Institute
Welcome to the Future.
What if you could go back in time and read a book that predicted how automation, robotics, AI, and future tech would begin transforming industries and daily life? This is that book—for the year 2018. The Robot and Automation Almanac – 2018 captures a unique moment in the evolution of technology, offering rare insight into the pivotal year when the age of automation began to emerge from science fiction into everyday reality.
In this visionary collection, top experts, CEOs, engineers, and futurists explore the robots you see—and those you don’t. From warehouse bots and driverless trucks to AI chatbots, 3D-printed buildings, and robotic pharmacists, this almanac reveals how automation is transforming construction, energy, finance, transportation, healthcare, and beyond.
🌐 What's in hospitality, hospitals, and high-rises
AI-powered chatbots, fintech, and robo-advisors
Supply chain revolution and autonomous delivery
The rise of China in global robotics
How automation is reshaping trust, labor, and economic policy
The investment boom fueling the automation age
With contributions from nearly two dozen thought leaders—representing industry giants, innovative startups, and forward-thinking institutions—this almanac offers a detailed and thought-provoking glimpse into the accelerating future.
Whether you're a business leader, investor, policymaker, technologist, or lifelong learner, The Robot and Automation Almanac – 2018 is your guide to understanding the tectonic shift from the information age to the automation age.
Grab your copy and discover the trends that are shaping our robotic tomorrow—today.
The robot and automation thought leaders that contributed to this book include Will Allen, Fred van Beuningen, Louis Borders, Jeff Burnstein, Jeremie Capron, Lorenzo Carver, Henrik Christensen, Steve Cousins, Craig Fuller, John Gibson, Rob Handfield, Holly McNamara, Jayesh Mehta, Laura McConney, Lou Micheletto, Stanislaw Radominski, David Schwebel, Daniel Stanton, Kaleb Steinhauer, Daniel Theobald, Michael Walton, and Bruce Welty. The editor, Jason Schenker, also contributed to the book.
Welcome to the Future.
What if you could go back in time and read a book that predicted how automation, robotics, AI, and future tech would begin transforming industries and daily life? This is that book—for the year 2018. The Robot and Automation Almanac – 2018 captures a unique moment in the evolution of technology, offering rare insight into the pivotal year when the age of automation began to emerge from science fiction into everyday reality.
In this visionary collection, top experts, CEOs, engineers, and futurists explore the robots you see—and those you don’t. From warehouse bots and driverless trucks to AI chatbots, 3D-printed buildings, and robotic pharmacists, this almanac reveals how automation is transforming construction, energy, finance, transportation, healthcare, and beyond.
🌐 What's in hospitality, hospitals, and high-rises
AI-powered chatbots, fintech, and robo-advisors
Supply chain revolution and autonomous delivery
The rise of China in global robotics
How automation is reshaping trust, labor, and economic policy
The investment boom fueling the automation age
With contributions from nearly two dozen thought leaders—representing industry giants, innovative startups, and forward-thinking institutions—this almanac offers a detailed and thought-provoking glimpse into the accelerating future.
Whether you're a business leader, investor, policymaker, technologist, or lifelong learner, The Robot and Automation Almanac – 2018 is your guide to understanding the tectonic shift from the information age to the automation age.
Grab your copy and discover the trends that are shaping our robotic tomorrow—today.
The robot and automation thought leaders that contributed to this book include Will Allen, Fred van Beuningen, Louis Borders, Jeff Burnstein, Jeremie Capron, Lorenzo Carver, Henrik Christensen, Steve Cousins, Craig Fuller, John Gibson, Rob Handfield, Holly McNamara, Jayesh Mehta, Laura McConney, Lou Micheletto, Stanislaw Radominski, David Schwebel, Daniel Stanton, Kaleb Steinhauer, Daniel Theobald, Michael Walton, and Bruce Welty. The editor, Jason Schenker, also contributed to the book.
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March 20, 2018
I am not sure what this book was supposed to be. I got it to learn something about robotics, in part because as an SF author I need information on AI. What it turned out to be is a collection of small essays by very senior members of various companies involved in robotics. So, you may think, that would guarantee the good oil, right? Actually, no. What it guaranteed was a serious of essays that were effectively what these industry leaders thought were where their companies could make big strides. In short, it had the attitude of a sales brochure. I only noticed two statements that were negative. One was a real problem, namely interoperability. The problem is that if you have robots from two different sources, they will have completely different operational conditions. So a problem was identified, so what happened next? Move on. No solution.
My personal view is there are a number of problems. One example is the poor woman run over by an autonomous vehicle in Arizona. I do not believe that robots are yet clever enough to be left on their own. On a somewhat lower level, I had my own issue, given that one chapter was praising the value of chatbots. I had to fix an iphone because the camera stopped working (still under guarantee) and it came back and I had to reload the various steps. I could not connect with my wifi, after about 7 efforts, so I try a chatbot. What happened? Well, first I had to find what overall subject I should ask about. Whatever I tried, the bot had no idea. (What actually happened was that next day I disregarded Einstein's dictum that trying the same thing again and expecting a different result was stupid – next morning it worked.) So what did I get out of this? First, Chatbots are useless unless someone has loaded the answer to the specific question you ask, in the way you ask it. Second, equipment is unreliable. What happens to an autonomous car if the camera stops working, as it did on my phone? What happens if for some inexplicable reason, links between equipment fail? The book simply ignores any possibility that things could go wrong, and it reads more as if the authors are making pitches for finance. Sorry, but I see no value in this at all.
My personal view is there are a number of problems. One example is the poor woman run over by an autonomous vehicle in Arizona. I do not believe that robots are yet clever enough to be left on their own. On a somewhat lower level, I had my own issue, given that one chapter was praising the value of chatbots. I had to fix an iphone because the camera stopped working (still under guarantee) and it came back and I had to reload the various steps. I could not connect with my wifi, after about 7 efforts, so I try a chatbot. What happened? Well, first I had to find what overall subject I should ask about. Whatever I tried, the bot had no idea. (What actually happened was that next day I disregarded Einstein's dictum that trying the same thing again and expecting a different result was stupid – next morning it worked.) So what did I get out of this? First, Chatbots are useless unless someone has loaded the answer to the specific question you ask, in the way you ask it. Second, equipment is unreliable. What happens to an autonomous car if the camera stops working, as it did on my phone? What happens if for some inexplicable reason, links between equipment fail? The book simply ignores any possibility that things could go wrong, and it reads more as if the authors are making pitches for finance. Sorry, but I see no value in this at all.
March 17, 2018
The Robot and Automation Almanac is an interesting collection of essays on robots and robotic technology. According to my perception, the book is not for the professional engineer or robot maker but, for average readers like me who are interested to know about robots and their place in our lives in the future which is different from the factory setting. The book is small and contains just 168 pages where actual essays start from page 21. Different essays target different aspect of robots followed by a short introduction of the author. For example, according to Will Allen robots would be as commonplace as the televisions which could be found in every household in America. These robots would be adapt in performing simple tasks thereby saving lots of human time. Another writer Jeff Burnstein in his essay "The New wave of Robots" writes that robots would be very useful in many places and their optimum usability would be with entrepreneurs and service industry where repetitive tasks could be assigned to robots and thereby save human time. Moreover, robots are cheap to maintain and does not require the huge amount of capital investment and other benefits that are provided to a regular human staff. Hence, they are affordable and help in advancement of business. Other such essays help in enhancing the overall picture of robots and could also studied as academic topic.
The thing which I appreciated about the book was that its language was simple and devoid of any academic or scientific term and so was easy for me to read. The book could have been more interesting (according to me) if it had added pictures of robots in action such as each writer had summarized.
The thing which I appreciated about the book was that its language was simple and devoid of any academic or scientific term and so was easy for me to read. The book could have been more interesting (according to me) if it had added pictures of robots in action such as each writer had summarized.
March 7, 2018
‘I suggest we watch the set of tools available to those researching and developing solutions based on robots.’
Texas author/editor Jason Schenker earned a Master’s in Applied Economics from UNC Greensboro, a Masters in Negotiation from CSU Dominguez Hills, a Masters in German from UNC Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor degree in History and German from The University of Virginia. He also holds a Certificate in FinTech from MIT, a Certificate in Supply Chain Management from MIT, a Certificate in Professional Development from UNC, and a Certificate in Negotiation from Harvard Law School. He is the world’s top ranked Financial Market Futurist. As the President of Prestige Economics, he advises executives, corporate boards, public corporations, private companies, central banks, and governmental bodies. He also directs forecasting, risk management, strategic projects, and has been ranked the #1 forecaster in the world for his forecast accuracy in 23 categories, including for his forecasts of the Euro, the British Pound, the Swiss Franc, the Russian Ruble, the Brazilian Real, crude oil prices, natural gas prices, gold prices, industrial metals prices, agricultural commodity prices, and non-farm payrolls. Jason is also the Chairman of The Futurist Institute, which helps analysts and economists become futurists. His books include COMMODITY PRICES 101, ELECTING RECESSION: THE IMPACT OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ON FINANCIAL MARKETS AND THE ECONOMY, JOBS FOR ROBOTS, ROBOT- PROOF YOURSELF, RECESSION-PROOF: HOW TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, and now THE ROBOT AND AUTOMATION ALMANAC 2018.
While the topic of this book may be challenging to the lay reader, Jason shares its purpose in a well written Introduction: ‘The history of robots is being written now. In this book. When people look back a decade from now, they will want to know how robots and automation evolved. They will want to understand how robots emerged from the factories. They will wish they had known more when it was happening. But rather than wait for a historian to document the future, The Robot and Automation Almanac captures perspectives on imminent pivotal changes now, in the tectonic transition from the information age to the automation age. We are standing on the edge of the age of automation. What’s next for robots and automation in the year ahead? This is the question that almost two dozen contributors have answered in this book. Robots and automation received a lot of media attention in 2017. But this visibility and emergence in the technological Zeitgeist was a shadow of what is likely to happen in 2018. Our authors have presented a view of a world in which robots and automation will make more rapidly accelerating progress. It may not be the year in which robots are a raging river of technological disruption in our daily lives, but 2018 is certain to be a year in which what had been a trickle will be emerging as a babbling brook. Where there was
a little activity before, there will be much more in the year ahead. In the essays in this book, you will see a common thread among the different authors: 2018 is a year of ramping up activity. While it may not be the year of full escape velocity, it is going to be a big year. We will likely look back at 2018 as a critical year of transition, of momentum, of activity, of investment, and of technological potential.’
What follows is a series of essays that address both robots we see and robots we don’t see. Putting it mildly, this book is illuminating – information we once was the purview of science fiction animated movies is ‘walking among us’ right now. The views stated in this informative book are both startling and reassuring – that robots and automation just may promise a more secure future. Red it slowly, absorb the learned thoughts and then walk to the window or door or elevator in a skyscraper and shake your head and think ‘Aha!’ – they were right. A taste of tomorrow.
Texas author/editor Jason Schenker earned a Master’s in Applied Economics from UNC Greensboro, a Masters in Negotiation from CSU Dominguez Hills, a Masters in German from UNC Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor degree in History and German from The University of Virginia. He also holds a Certificate in FinTech from MIT, a Certificate in Supply Chain Management from MIT, a Certificate in Professional Development from UNC, and a Certificate in Negotiation from Harvard Law School. He is the world’s top ranked Financial Market Futurist. As the President of Prestige Economics, he advises executives, corporate boards, public corporations, private companies, central banks, and governmental bodies. He also directs forecasting, risk management, strategic projects, and has been ranked the #1 forecaster in the world for his forecast accuracy in 23 categories, including for his forecasts of the Euro, the British Pound, the Swiss Franc, the Russian Ruble, the Brazilian Real, crude oil prices, natural gas prices, gold prices, industrial metals prices, agricultural commodity prices, and non-farm payrolls. Jason is also the Chairman of The Futurist Institute, which helps analysts and economists become futurists. His books include COMMODITY PRICES 101, ELECTING RECESSION: THE IMPACT OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ON FINANCIAL MARKETS AND THE ECONOMY, JOBS FOR ROBOTS, ROBOT- PROOF YOURSELF, RECESSION-PROOF: HOW TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, and now THE ROBOT AND AUTOMATION ALMANAC 2018.
While the topic of this book may be challenging to the lay reader, Jason shares its purpose in a well written Introduction: ‘The history of robots is being written now. In this book. When people look back a decade from now, they will want to know how robots and automation evolved. They will want to understand how robots emerged from the factories. They will wish they had known more when it was happening. But rather than wait for a historian to document the future, The Robot and Automation Almanac captures perspectives on imminent pivotal changes now, in the tectonic transition from the information age to the automation age. We are standing on the edge of the age of automation. What’s next for robots and automation in the year ahead? This is the question that almost two dozen contributors have answered in this book. Robots and automation received a lot of media attention in 2017. But this visibility and emergence in the technological Zeitgeist was a shadow of what is likely to happen in 2018. Our authors have presented a view of a world in which robots and automation will make more rapidly accelerating progress. It may not be the year in which robots are a raging river of technological disruption in our daily lives, but 2018 is certain to be a year in which what had been a trickle will be emerging as a babbling brook. Where there was
a little activity before, there will be much more in the year ahead. In the essays in this book, you will see a common thread among the different authors: 2018 is a year of ramping up activity. While it may not be the year of full escape velocity, it is going to be a big year. We will likely look back at 2018 as a critical year of transition, of momentum, of activity, of investment, and of technological potential.’
What follows is a series of essays that address both robots we see and robots we don’t see. Putting it mildly, this book is illuminating – information we once was the purview of science fiction animated movies is ‘walking among us’ right now. The views stated in this informative book are both startling and reassuring – that robots and automation just may promise a more secure future. Red it slowly, absorb the learned thoughts and then walk to the window or door or elevator in a skyscraper and shake your head and think ‘Aha!’ – they were right. A taste of tomorrow.
March 23, 2018
This book, edited by Schenker, is very different in feel from Schenker’s own books, of which I’ve read and reviewed several.
The advantage this book has is that it has a collection of experts discussing their areas of expertise, resulting in a slightly wider spread than occurred when we had just one author discussing his area of expertise, occasionally making a stab outside of such, and leaving some issues unaddressed and/or tackled from a single somewhat blinkered perspective.
That said, I was expecting to see a little more variety here than was presented. On the one hand, this bodes well insofar as the authors are singing from the same songsheet, and so we can take the information presented as probably very accurate. On the other hand, there are only so many times that we need to read the same ideas.
It’s also worth noting in advance that while this book is largely divided into “Robots that you see” and “Robots that you don’t see”, the latter category is still perfectly visible robots, just operating behind closed doors in Amazon warehouses and similar—it’s not talking about the purely (or mostly) digital kind. It’s not focussed on Alexa and Siri, or for that matter the army of bots we see hijacking social media commentaries on matters of political importance.
All-in-all, well worth reading if one has an interest in robots and automation (I’ll presume you do if you’re reading reviews for such a book), though of course it has its limitations.
The advantage this book has is that it has a collection of experts discussing their areas of expertise, resulting in a slightly wider spread than occurred when we had just one author discussing his area of expertise, occasionally making a stab outside of such, and leaving some issues unaddressed and/or tackled from a single somewhat blinkered perspective.
That said, I was expecting to see a little more variety here than was presented. On the one hand, this bodes well insofar as the authors are singing from the same songsheet, and so we can take the information presented as probably very accurate. On the other hand, there are only so many times that we need to read the same ideas.
It’s also worth noting in advance that while this book is largely divided into “Robots that you see” and “Robots that you don’t see”, the latter category is still perfectly visible robots, just operating behind closed doors in Amazon warehouses and similar—it’s not talking about the purely (or mostly) digital kind. It’s not focussed on Alexa and Siri, or for that matter the army of bots we see hijacking social media commentaries on matters of political importance.
All-in-all, well worth reading if one has an interest in robots and automation (I’ll presume you do if you’re reading reviews for such a book), though of course it has its limitations.
February 28, 2018
Easy to read and very informative
I picked up The Robot and Automation Almanac by Jason Schenker because I was interested in the development of Robots and other automations. The book is actually a collection of essays from many different leaders within the robot and automation industry. The essays range from telling the history of robotics, to where we are currently in the world of robots and even some making predictions as to where robots will be in the future.
I enjoyed the information shared in this book, it is broken up in two sections, the first being Robots you see. In this section it focuses on the robots that we see everyday in construction, on the roads and used for transportation, in the hospitals, service robots, basically the ones that we encounter and interact with daily. The second section addresses Robots we can’t see such as those in warehouses and even software based robots. I had never put a whole lot of thought into some of the robots that were brought to my attention by reading this book! Overall it was very informative and an easy read.
I picked up The Robot and Automation Almanac by Jason Schenker because I was interested in the development of Robots and other automations. The book is actually a collection of essays from many different leaders within the robot and automation industry. The essays range from telling the history of robotics, to where we are currently in the world of robots and even some making predictions as to where robots will be in the future.
I enjoyed the information shared in this book, it is broken up in two sections, the first being Robots you see. In this section it focuses on the robots that we see everyday in construction, on the roads and used for transportation, in the hospitals, service robots, basically the ones that we encounter and interact with daily. The second section addresses Robots we can’t see such as those in warehouses and even software based robots. I had never put a whole lot of thought into some of the robots that were brought to my attention by reading this book! Overall it was very informative and an easy read.
March 6, 2018
A great collection that introduces us and those are still in the shadows into the world of robots, theories, essays, lots and lots of evidence about everything you need to be aware about robots and the era of automation.
This industry is moving in an unexpected pace, advancing in fields and solving long problems and more, it’s was not surprising to find this now that the era of information and internet aren’t doing it justice, there are a few channels and websites covering just the surface of what it has to offer.
I like books like these that covers what they are aiming with actual evidence, everything here is backed by solid information and background about everything you may want to know and it doesn’t drag anything on the way, everything is crystal clear and easy to read, I encourage everyone who wants to know a little bit more of that the time that’s coming for our world, and embrace it rather than deny that such changes are needed.
This industry is moving in an unexpected pace, advancing in fields and solving long problems and more, it’s was not surprising to find this now that the era of information and internet aren’t doing it justice, there are a few channels and websites covering just the surface of what it has to offer.
I like books like these that covers what they are aiming with actual evidence, everything here is backed by solid information and background about everything you may want to know and it doesn’t drag anything on the way, everything is crystal clear and easy to read, I encourage everyone who wants to know a little bit more of that the time that’s coming for our world, and embrace it rather than deny that such changes are needed.
March 9, 2018
As a kid, I thought we would be living with robots everywhere by this point in my life. Although I am a little disappointed that I don’t have a robot in my own home, I am also a little glad. This collection of essays gave me a lot more insight into the world of robotics and what it might actually be like to have a robot in every home and establishment. I found the essays about the future of the industry very exciting. It was nice to have insight from experts, rather than speculation from magazines and the media. Of course, some of the essays were a little frightening, but I think these types of outlooks are needed in order to keep people from making mistakes with such technology. It took me a little while to get through this collection as I wanted to let each essay sink in. I would definitely recommend this collection to anyone interested in the robotics of today, tomorrow and yesterday.
March 14, 2018
Jason Schenker brings us some of the top leaders in our progressive world. They are the principle players in our wave of intelligence. One robots many of these specialists have is common is the service robot. These differ from manufacturing robots, in that; they will be used in public to serve humans. One thing the public will have to overcome is the fear factors some people have developed after watching movies were robot tries to dominate the human race. One thing we should keep in mind is that robots are just beginning to show their strength and investing in this endeavor could reap large dividends.
As I read The Robot and Automation Almanac – 2018: The Futurist Institute, I was overwhelmed with the technology that is about to enter our lives. It is amazing the speed in which our world is advancing. I know I am behind in what is out there. This book is a great step towards educating yourself before the next wave to technology sweeps through our country.
As I read The Robot and Automation Almanac – 2018: The Futurist Institute, I was overwhelmed with the technology that is about to enter our lives. It is amazing the speed in which our world is advancing. I know I am behind in what is out there. This book is a great step towards educating yourself before the next wave to technology sweeps through our country.
March 18, 2018
This is a short, interesting, and informative read about the world of robots. The writing is geared more towards people who wish to know more and are curious but perhaps not so knowledgeable about the world of robots. Technology is constantly advancing and some of the robots that already exist as well as those that are being created are a very real aspect of our future, as told by many of the essays in the book. I really enjoyed the predictions a few of the essays had, and it will be interesting to see if those forecasts actually come true. I also liked the essays that explained where we are currently with robots, and I did not realize some of the useful jobs that they perform today. Overall this was an easy and interesting read by a collection of knowledgeable people in the robot/automation industry.
March 7, 2018
The Robot and Automation Almanac - 2018: The Futurist Institute by Jason Schenker is a compilation of essays about robotics, where robots are used now, and where they may be used in the future. Featuring various viewpoints from experts in this type of thing, the book runs the gamut of how robotics are used, and in fact how they are transforming business as we know it. Highly educational and full of information, this is a great book if you are somewhat of a novice when it comes to robots. The book certainly opens doors to new ideas and innovations when it comes to robots. Automation is here to stay whether in manufacturing or other business applications, and this book encapsulates just how useful and advantageous these robots can be. Highly recommend for an interesting read.
March 2, 2018
A wide array of view on the robot automaton here and future
This is a very educational book about robots and automation. The book is a series of short publications from experts in the field covering the start of robotics to current events and some future projections and possibilities. This is a good book to gain a wide perspective from a group of very knowledgeable experts in this field. I learned a lot about the industry and would recommend this read to anyone who is interested in robots, automaton, or a combination of these ideas.
This is a very educational book about robots and automation. The book is a series of short publications from experts in the field covering the start of robotics to current events and some future projections and possibilities. This is a good book to gain a wide perspective from a group of very knowledgeable experts in this field. I learned a lot about the industry and would recommend this read to anyone who is interested in robots, automaton, or a combination of these ideas.
March 5, 2018
A collective edition of essays, thoughts, vision, predictions and history of robots, shared by leaders in robots and automation industry. The sections in the book focus on current usage of robotics in everyday life, transportation, manufacturing, energy, finance and much more. The automation of workload in industries and various areas of business is also highlighted. A good book for students and anyone interested in this area. An easy read!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews